Idol of Lord Shani Dev vandalised in UP, second incident in Etah in a week; sparks outrage

NEW DELHI: Unidentified people damaged an idol of Lord Shani Dev in the Mirhachi area, marking the second occurrence within a week and causing sparked tension in Etah, police reported on Sunday.
The incident occurred on Saturday evening at Datei village, where vandals damaged the idol's head, hands, and mace, PTI reported.
The village head, Pankaj Singh, filed a complaint against unknown perpetrators and requested prompt action, whilst police authorities called for peace amongst villagers.
Circle Officer Sanjay Singh conducted a site inspection alongside station house officer (SHO) Neeta Maheshwari and substantial police presence. "This is a serious incident. We are investigating the matter from all angles and will arrest the culprits soon," Singh stated.
The SHO requested the local residents to maintain composure and confirmed that police personnel had been stationed in the village to ensure law and order.
Earlier, in Etah, a 'shivling' and an idol were discovered damaged on Tuesday, leading to demonstrations by Hindu organisations.
Circle Officer (Jalesar) Nitish Garg confirmed that authorities are reviewing CCTV footage from the temple vicinity to apprehend the culprits.
Police reports indicate that early morning worshippers at the ancient Radha Krishna temple noticed nothing unusual. However, around 8 am, it was discovered that unknown individuals had vandalised the Shivling and the Nandi idol.
The incident prompted hundreds of people to gather at the temple site to voice their protest.
Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and other Hindu groups staged a blockade at the Bada Bazar intersection. The demonstrators chanted slogans criticising the tehsil administration and police force.
The protesters expressed their dissatisfaction that the sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) and other administrative officials had not visited the site despite five hours passing since the incident.